Breaking Point
by Keishi Huo
Summary: [No power-hungry, genocidal tyrant was ever born that way. They were raised that way. In between two generations of Guardians, the story of a child goes awry. Phobos had a friend, a loving mother, and was quickly becoming a great mage. He had all he needed, all he wanted, but things don't always go as planned and sooner or later someone has to hit a breaking point.] [HIATUS]
1. The Meeting

**A/N: Yay for my first W.I.T.C.H. fanfic. There simply aren't enough of them IMO.**

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"Mother, when I become King I'll make Meridian an honest place. No more lies or deceit, no more corruption or stealing. In my kingdom, they won't have to resort to things like that," The blond haired boy said happily, swinging his legs as he sat on the throne's edge.

"My, my, such ambitions," Queen Weira said with a small smile. "I suppose that means you'll surpass me someday."

"Of course! Every generation must be better than the last or there will be no progress."

"When did you become such a poet, Phobos?"

The prince smiled brightly at the compliment, "Maybe I always was."

"Perhaps. Now, use that poetic tongue of yours to make a friend."

"A friend?" He asked, his expression turning sour. "You know how that always turns out."

"Now, now, don't think like that," Weira chided. "For your 9th birthday I've gotten the Baron Salazar to join your royal court. He'll teach you magic."

"Salazar?" He questioned, a look of surprise clear on his face. "The famous mage?"

"Of course. It's never too early to start. Besides, you should build your magical prowess as soon as possible."

"Am I supposed to make friends with my future teacher?"

"Oh no, no," The queen chuckled with amusement. "Rather, his son. I think you two will get along well." The boy opened his mouth, ready to protest but his mother simply held up her hand in a 'wait for it' manner. "Just stand like the prince you are and see what happens. You haven't even met him yet but they'll be here any minute."

"...Fine," Phobos grumbled as he leaped off the gold throne and stood beside it. Impeccably, a loud knock rang through the throne room.

"Queen Weira! The Lord Salazar has arrived with his son," One of the guards announced.

"Enter!" Weira called out in a queenly tone. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she glanced at her son, "Ready or not, here they come," which caused Phobos to cringe considerably.

The large doors swung open easily, the guards flanking each side, as a man and a small boy entered. The two guards shut the door quietly and the older man bowed before the red haired Queen and the prince. "Greetings Your Majesty. I am most delighted that you would invite me to your castle."

"Rise, Baron. I'm glad you could come. This is my son Phobos," She said, motioning toward her son who was still standing stiffly beside her.

"It is an honor my prince. I look forward to your lessons with me," Salazar stated as he smiled at Phobos, though his eyes were ice cold.

"Likewise," Phobos replied shortly, his tone not matching his word at all as his eyes narrowed into an almost unnoticeable glare.

"This is my son, Cedric," He stated, placing a hand on the small boy's shoulder.

Cedric bowed politely and stated in a tense, determined voice, "It's a pleasure to meet you both!"

"Why don't you two go outside and get to know each other? I'm sure you'll get along famously."

Phobos shot his mother a livid look which was returned with a simple wink and a proud smirk. Grudgingly, the bleached blond boy let his arms fall beside him as he walked briskly down the stairs. As he passed Cedric the other boy followed behind like a baby duck. A white light coursed between the central seam of the doors and they creaked open, much to the shock of the guards. Nevertheless they bowed in the Prince's presence and as soon as he had walked down the hall they shut the doors.

"That was amazing!" Cedric said, his voice giddy.

"Not really…" Phobos mumbled. It was always like this. He was the Prince of Meridian and thus every child he had come into contact with either shunned him or kissed up to him like no tomorrow.

"But it was! With powers like that why do you need my dad to tutor you?" He asked curiously, his tone completely changing.

Phobos' interest was slightly piqued by how Cedric had changed moods so quickly but allowed it to pass, telling himself it wouldn't matter in a few minutes. "I didn't decide it. My mother did."

"Well...I'm glad she did," Cedric began, almost shyly. "It gives us a chance to be friends."

Phobos stopped in his tracks, Cedric halting a few feet behind him. "Friends…?" He mumbled in a hushed voice. A small, barely audible chuckle escaped his lips, the laugh growing slowly in volume. "Friends? Hah! This'll end up like every other time someone's wanted to be 'friends." His laugh immediately ceased as his eyes shot ice at Cedric. "I'll admit though, you almost had me fooled."

Cedric raised a blonde eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb," Phobos said, his eyes sharp as he stared at the other boy, his amusement completely subsided now.

"I'm not!" Cedric protested, his tone determined and his expression deathly stubborn.

"Right," Phobos drawled sarcastically. "I've been through this time and time again, don't presume to test me further." The prince haughtily spun around and continued on the way he had been going before.

Cedric's eyes widened as he watched Phobos walk off before rushing after the prince, his resolve set. For a while a tense silence fell over the two as Phobos strutted through the halls and Cedric right behind, his green cloak flowing as he nearly jogged to keep pace.

"Stop following me," He growled, his leather boots clicking on the floor sharply.

"No," Cedric stated calmly as his steps matched the prince's perfectly.

Phobos stopped abruptly and so did Cedric. "I… I am the prince," He began, his voice lowered into a growl, "and right now...right now, I order you to stop! Go away!" The prince boy whipped around abruptly, fury in his eyes and a scowl marring his face.

Salazar's son didn't so much as flinch. "I get it," He said, his voice quiet. Phobos let out a small sight, almost glad that Cedric would go away. Sadly (for him at least) that wasn't the case. "I get it. You're scared that I'm the type of person you hate most. It's a common thing for royalty. Everyone has an ulterior motive right? That's what you think. That's the notion that's been set into your mind and now you've become too stubborn to do anything about it."

The prince narrowed his pale green eyes into a dangerous expression. "You had better shut your trap before I hex you to never speak again."

"It's true isn't it?" Cedric continued, pressing on. "I know, alright? I get it."

Phobos remained apathetically silent before turning back around and continuing to walk away. Again, Cedric followed behind the younger boy. In silence, Phobos led their way down to the first floor and out a humble door to the gardens. Cedric's arm immediately flew up to shield his eyes from the blinding light. He took a few seconds for his eyesight to adjust and he slowly blinked as he looked around. The boy sucked in a sharp gasp as he saw where he was. The garden. Beautiful flowers of all sorts of colors grew in neat, organized bushels and trees sprouted in a grid-like fashion. The beautiful landscape was pristinely organized in a civilized form of nature.

It took a few moments for Cedric to snap out of his stupor enough to see that Phobos was already walking away. The boy immediately jolted into action and ran after him. Phobos headed down a thin dirt road and the further they went the more unruly the foliage became. Large, ancient trees loomed overhead to shadow them, blotting out the sun and sky. Finally, Phobos stopped inside a clearing that allowed some spots of light to filter through and promptly sat down against a rock facing a small pond.

"Sit," He commanded and for the first time Cedric listened to him.

"This is a nice place," He commented awkwardly as he sat beside the prince.

"It's my favorite place on the castle grounds," Phobos replied, his voice still relatively emotionless but at least he wasn't talking to Cedric with scorn in his voice anymore.

"Yeah...I like it too… It's nice and quiet and peaceful," He said, looking at Phobos with a smile.

For the first time in a long time, Phobos Escanor smiled softly back.

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**Honestly it's going to take forever to post new chapters, I'll just warn you of that. RR?**


	2. The Birthday

**A/N: Sorry I've been so inactive, school has been getting to me. Honestly, I feel like the beginning, albeit being the easiest, is the most hectic. -.-;**

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Queen Weira did not trust Salazar, and that was being generous. He might be one of the greatest magicians of his generation and a great mentor but then again...snakes were famed for their silver tongues. The queen had already learned to express kindness but to carefully consider trust. The one thing that had made Queen Weira lighten her suspicions was the boy, Cedric. He was kind and clever, easily appeased and always happy. Even Phobos had taken a liking to him and if her ever-cautious son could come to befriend him, she could too. Surely, with such a sweet child the father could not be all that bad, right?

"You have great power, My Prince. But, it is unrefined, uncalculated. Your shots are just blind blasts that decimate everything _but_ the intended target," Salazar stated calmly, his green eyes carefully turning away from the dark smolders left right beside the small shield hanging in midair. He had learned the hard way that training the little prince inside the castle would cause more than manageable collateral damage. Later he simply took training to the gardens although the vegetation was half scorched and the castle walls were already showing signs of damage. "Let us take a break, shall we?"

Phobos didn't reply. He was already struggling to not gasp for breath as it was, talking would only make it worse so he simply leaned against the castle wall. Sweat dripped down his face and his arms were trembling uncontrollably.

From her perch on the second floor balcony, Queen Weira spotted Cedric leaping out of what seemed to be one of the tall windows, his long green coat fluttering behind him. A smile graced her lips as she watched the boy rush towards Phobos.

"Phobos!" He called excitedly as he skidded to a stop before the prince.

"Cedric, the Prince's lessons are not yet over," hissed the cold voice of Salazar.

Cedric flinched away from his father but Phobos only glared at the man. "They are now," Snapped Phobos, shooting a steely glare at Salazar as though he were daring the elder to test him. He grabbed Cedric by the sleeve of his dark green coat and tugged him away.

He had barely walked a few feet before Cedric planted his feet to stop the prince. "No, it's fine," He protested, shaking his head. Cedric clutched a rather large book in his arms and when he held it out, the gold-plated cover shimmered brilliantly. "I- I made this. For you," He stuttered, not daring to meet the pale green eyes staring at him.

Phobos reached out and took the book in his hands, it weighed heavily on his already sore arms but he had nowhere to put it down. He ran his fingers down the intricate design on the gold cover before trying to open it. The cover wouldn't budge. "What is this?" He asked Cedric curiously.

"Your present…"

It was silent for an awkwardly long moment and Cedric feared that perhaps it was the wrong thing to give him. Phobos's voice quickly had him dropping back to reality when he murmured, "Oh…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Cedric turned quickly back in the direction of the castle and said, "Well, you'd better finish your lesson. I'll see you later!" Without waiting for a reply he ran back inside.

* * *

Phobos lay on his stomach, his chin rested in the palm of his left hand and his legs were crossed at the knees. He wore long black shirt with a crimson sash tied just above his abdomen, cinching the shirt. The hem of his black pants were stuffed in his leather boots. The weather was fairly cool so he opted to wear a shawl as well, its color matched that of the sash and the hem of his sleeves. The black and red pattern of his bed sheets seemed to complement the colors of the book a little too well. He studied the cover as if the secrets of the universe was somehow inscribed into the gold. Once more, he tried to pry open the cover but once again it did not open for him. The boy took a deep breath and glared at the book like he could will it to open with some sort of freakish telepathy. "Open, dammit!" He spat, slamming a fist on his bed. Suddenly, the cover sprung open and a page flipped open with a loud snap. Phobos jolted up into a kneeling position. "What the-" He gasped, his eyes wide. "Is...is this thing supposed to be voice activated?" He whispered, leaning in close once more and touching the page tentatively. Just then. a hollow knock sounded through his room and he slammed the book shut. "Who is it?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Your mother, silly," Said the voice from outside and Phobos let out a sigh of relief.

"Come in," He called letting himself relax although one hand still rested on the cover of the book.

The large double doors clicked open and the bright-haired queen walked in to stand just beyond the threshold.

"Come on Phobos, you've been cooped up in here long enough, let's go already!" She said cheerfully, beckoning for him to come with her hand.

"Go...where?" He asked, tilting his head curiously.

Queen Weira raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Don't tell me you forgot. It's your birthday, Phobos."

"It is?" He asked unfazed. At least it explained why Cedric had given him a present out of the blue. "I guess I did forget." Phobos slid off the silk sheets and trotted over to his mother, taking her hand. Just before they exited he turned for one last look at the book. From his faraway angle he noticed a symbol on the cover: a darkened carving of a serpent with its tail in its mouth. An Ouroboros.

* * *

At the main hall, Cedric was leaning against a large marble pillar, his brown boots kicking the stone floor absentmindedly. He The clicks of footsteps reverberated through the hall and the royalty finally appeared at the foot of the stairs. Immediately, Phobos let go of his mother's hand and ran to his friend.

"Cedric!" He skidded to a stop on the treacherously smooth floor. "Thank you for the birthday gift. I love it. A little confusing, but still cool."

Cedric giggled in amusement and smiled brightly. "I'm pleased you like it. It was difficult to forge."

"You made it? But...something like that takes a lot of magic. How did you-"

"Oh, I'm sure Father will teach you in time," He said, waving his hand as a sign that he was dismissing the matter. "We should have fun! It's the Prince's birthday, everybody's celebrating."

Phobos paused for a moment and turned to Weira, his eyes silently asking for permission. She nodded simply and Phobos lit up. "Let's go then."

The two ran out of the castle and down the winding road, laughing like normal children would. Booths and hoards of people lined the road. Multicolored banners hung everywhere and music merged with the air. Everywhere, festivities were taking place and everywhere the two went people stopped to look and greet their prince on the day when he turned ten.

* * *

Twilight was upon them and the dark sky was lit by many brilliant fireworks. The two boys sat beside each other in the garden, in Phobos's specifically designated spot beside the small pond. The trees looming up above blocked most of the fireworks but the small spots allowing light to filter through created a gorgeous kaleidoscope effect.

"Today was great. Everyone seems so happy," Cedric said, sitting on the grass, his arms outstretched behind him.

"Yeah. It was nice," Phobos murmured, too proud to openly admit that he enjoyed a 'pedestrian', as he would call it, event. He laid on his back with his hands intertwined behind his head. All day people treated him like the prince he wished to be and after a morning of arduous magic lessons with Salazar it seemed just that much better.

Instead of looking at the fireworks Phobos's eyes were fixed upon the scarlet roses growing on vines that had intertwined themselves around all the trees. Against the shimmering lights from above the simple roses seemed to illuminate. Apparently, Cedric had found an interest in them as well. "Hey, hey Phobos, look at that!" Cedric said excitedly, pointing up at one of the branches. Phobos shifted his gaze to where his friend was pointing and saw a dark green snake slithering among the blood colored roses. "Do you think it's going to get cut by the thorns?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"No. Roses would never harm a kindred spirit."

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**A/N: Hint, hint roses and snakes are important.**


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